Ghana’s Gyan shortlisted for 2013 CAF African Player Award

Black Stars captain, Asamoah Gyan has made the Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s shortlist for the 2013 African Player of the Year.

Information pieced together by GNA Sports from the secretariat of CAF indicates that, Gyan is the only Ghanaian in the ten-man shortlist following voting from members of the Technical & Development and the Media Committees from the initial list of 25 nominees.

In all, 10 players made the cut for the flagship African Player of the Year category while five others were selected for the African Player of the Year (based in Africa).

According to CAF, head coaches of the National Associations affiliated to CAF will vote in their order of preference to decide on the eventual winners of the two categories with the winners expected to be announced at the Gala scheduled for Thursday, January 9, 2014 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Gyan, 28, will be hoping to beat competition from Ahmed Musa, Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Emenike, John Obi Mikel, Jonathan Pitroipa, Mohamed Aboutreika, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Vincent Enyeama and Yaya Toure to win the award for the first time.

Toure is the reigning African Player of the Year while Mohamed Aboutrika is the African Player of the Year (based in Africa).

The contenders for the home-based award are Ahmed Fathy, Mohamed Aboutreika, Rainford Kalaba,Tresor Mputu Mabi and Sunday Mba.

Initially, 25 players were named for African Player of the Year category, and 21 for the African Player of the Year (based in Africa).

Source: GNA